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Comprehensive Weight Management Program
Am I A Candidate
for Surgery?
You
may be wondering if you are a candidate for weight
loss surgery, or your physician may have recommended that
you consider this option. This is a major life decision, and not
everyone qualifies as a candidate for bariatric care.
If your answer is "yes" to most or all of the following questions, then you are a possible candidate:
- Have I tried and failed to lose and keep off significant weight loss?
- Am I 100 pounds or more over my ideal body weight?
- Is my Body Mass Index (BMI) 40 or higher?
- Do I have medical conditions – diabetes, heart problems, back or knee pain, breathing difficulties, sleep apnea – that are obesity-related risk factors?
- Do I fully understand and accept the risks of surgery?
- Do I have realistic expectations of what the weight loss will mean to me?
- Am I committed maintaining a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life?
- Do I have supportive friends and family?
Evaluation Process
Before you are approved for bariatric surgery, you will need to complete these evaluation steps:
Information Session
Attend a free information session. Call (608) 824-4457 or (800) 808-1190 for
upcoming dates and venues.
Health Questionnaire
You will complete a Dean Comprehensive Weight Management Questionnaire.
After we review your questionnaire, we will contact you to
schedule an appointment to discuss the information.
Consultation
During this initial consultation we will discuss your available
options based on your health status.
Nutrition and Psychiatric Evaluation
You will meet with our bariatric nutritionist and our psychiatrist
as part of the routine evaluation process.
Other Health Evaluations
We may request additional evaluations as well, such as a pulmonary
evaluation for sleep apnea, a cardiac evaluation, etc.
Physician Referral
If you have already seen a primary physician regarding the need
for this surgery, we do request that you obtain a letter of
recommendation for our records.
Diet History
A letter from you summarizing your diet history is also required.
Lifestyle Changes & Support Group
Participation
You may also be required to start a diet and exercise program
and to attend a weight loss surgery support group meeting.
Insurance and Payment Options
It is important that you provide us with your insurance
information, in order to verify payment options. Once we have received the
required letters and the results of the evaluations, and you
have been approved as a candidate by the bariatric surgery
team, a prior authorization letter will be sent to your insurance
company. You will also be directed to meet with someone in
the Dean Business Office to make payment arrangements. Once
we have received approval from your insurance company and/or
our business office, we will contact you to schedule another
appointment to further discuss the surgery with you. It is
important to note that your insurance company will notify both
of us regarding your approval status. If you wish to find out
the progress of your request, please contact your insurance
company directly.
Please be aware that this procress may take APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
We will be sure to contact you promptly as soon as we receive any information.
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